Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Perdiccas III (r.368/7-360/59 BC)

Perdiccas III (r.368/7-360/59 BC) was a king of Macedon who was killed in battle against the Illyrians, leaving the throne to his brother Philip II.

Alexander II of Macedon (r.369-368/7 BC)

Alexander II of Macedon (r.369-368/7 BC) was a short-lived monarch, who was murdered by Ptolemy Alorites, probably his brother in law.

Monday, August 29, 2016

Battle of the Bulge: Volume Three: The 3rd Fallschirmjäger Division in Action, December 1944-January 1945, Hans Wijers.

Battle of the Bulge: Volume Three: The 3rd Fallschirmjäger Division in Action, December 1944-January 1945, Hans Wijers
 Focuses on the battles of a single German division and their opponents on the northern flank of the Battle of the Bulge, where the Germans made the least progress. Could do with a bit more background, and at least a basic map, but will still be of value to those with an interest in this massive battle
[read full review]

The Ardennes 1944-1945 Hitler's Winter Offensive, Christer Bergström.

The Ardennes 1944-1945 Hitler's Winter Offensive, Christer Bergström
 A splendid account of the Ardennes Offensive, covering the entire battle, from the impressive German planning, the surprise attack and the costly battle of attrition that followed, up to the final end of the campaign at the start of February 1945. Combines detailed accounts of individual battles for villages, with regular overviews of the entire campaign, to produce a rare example of a really large scale account of a campaign that also produces a clear picture of how these details fit into the wider picture
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Get Tough Stay Tough: Shaping the Canadian Corps, 1914-1918, Kenneth Radley.

Get Tough Stay Tough: Shaping the Canadian Corps, 1914-1918, Kenneth Radley
Uses the Canadian Army Corps of the First World War to examine the nature of morale and discipline and the role they played in producing a successful army. The author has produced a well argued case, supported by a detailed knowledge of his topic. Does have some infuriating moments, but despite that is a valuable, well researched and useful examination of the way in which the Canadian Corps, and by extension most of the British army, operated during the First World War. 
[read full review]

Friday, August 26, 2016

Boulton & Paul P.35

The Boulton & Paul P.35 was a design for a fighter with an upwards firing Coventry Ordnance Works 37mm cannon.

Boulton & Paul P.34

The Boulton & Paul P.34 was a naval version of the P.33 Partridge single seat fighter, and like the land based version didn't enter production.

Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Cruiser Tank, Ram Mk II

The Cruiser Tank, Ram Mk II, was the definitive version of a medium tank based on the American M3, but produced in Canada and armed with a 6 pounder anti-tank gun in a cast turret.

Cruiser Tank, Ram Mk I

The Cruiser Tank, Ram Mk I, was a Canadian tank that combined the engine, transmission and running gear from the Medium Tank M3 with a new hull and its main gun carried in a turret.

Monday, August 22, 2016

The Siege of Petersburg - The Battles for the Weldon Railroad, August 1864, John Horn.

The Siege of Petersburg - The Battles for the Weldon Railroad, August 1864, John Horn
 Focuses on Grant's fourth Petersburg offensive, the attempt to cut the Weldon Railroad south of the city, and at the same time prevent Lee moving troops to other theatres. Combines very detailed material on the three battles with an interesting examination of why the Union army performed so poorly in them, with an examination of the long term strategic results of the constant application of pressure at Petersburg.
[read full review]

Artillery Scout: The Story of a Forward Observer with the U.S. Field Artillery in World War I, James G. Bilder.

Artillery Scout: The Story of a Forward Observer with the U.S. Field Artillery in World War I, James G. Bilder
Tells the story of the author's grandfather, who served with American Expeditionary Force during the First World War, and took part in the battle of St. Mihiel and the Argonne offensive. Provides two unusual viewpoints for the Western Front for the British reader - that of a US soldier and that of an Artillery Scout, better known as a Forward Observer.
[read full review]

MI5 at War 1909-1918: How MI5 Foiled the Spies of the Kaiser in the First World War, Chris Northcott.

MI5 at War 1909-1918: How MI5 Foiled the Spies of the Kaiser in the First World War, Chris Northcott
A sober look at the performance of MI5 between its formation in 1908 and the end of the First World War, focusing as much on the internal structure of MI5, and the laws that allowed it to operate as on its activities and individual cases. This helps explain how MI5 achieved its successes, and also what sort of threats they believed they faced.
[read full review]

Friday, August 19, 2016

Cambyses II (r.529-522 BC)

Cambyses II (r.529-522 BC) was the second Achaemenid Emperor of Persia, succeeding his father and founder of the Empire, Cyrus II the Great. His most notable achievement was the conquest of Egypt, but he died under mysterious circumstances while rushing home to deal with a revolt against his authority

Artaxerxes I (r.464-425 BC)

Artaxerxes I (r.464-425 BC) was the Persian Emperor during the last stage of the Greco-Persian War and the first part of the Great Peloponnesian War, ending the first of those wars with the Peace of Callias, in which the Athenians acknowledged Persian authority in Asia Minor. The Greeks called him Artaxerxes Macrocheir (Long hand)

Thursday, August 18, 2016

Boulton & Paul P.33 Partridge

The Boulton & Paul P.33 Partridge was a single seat biplane fighter designed to the same specification as the Bristol Bulldog.

Boulton & Paul P.32

The Boulton & Paul P.32 was a design for a heavy bomber that reached the prototype stage, but wasn't ordered into production.

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

The Oder Front 1945 Vol 2: Documents, Reports and Personal Accounts, A. Stephan Hamilton.

The Oder Front 1945 Vol 2: Documents, Reports and Personal Accounts, A. Stephan Hamilton
A volume of supporting material for volume one's account of the fighting, covering a very wide range of topics. Includes Hitler's official instructions for the Eastern Front, a large section of combat histories of every major unit involved in the fighting, and detailed accounts of each of the sieges of the German 'fortress cities' or Festung on the Oder Front. Supported by a sizable selection of documents on CD
[read full review]

Montcalm's Crushing Blow - French and Indian Raids along New York's Oswego River 1756, René Chartrand.

Montcalm's Crushing Blow - French and Indian Raids along New York's Oswego River 1756, René Chartrand
Looks at Montcalm's first campaign after arriving in Canada, the elimination of the British foothold on Lake Ontario. Covers two attacks - the destruction of Fort Bull on the vulnerable supply route to Oswego (before Montcalm's arrival), and Montcalm's impressive naval expedition and the resulting siege of Oswego. Includes plenty of valuable background information, as well as detailed accounts of the two brief sieges.
[read full review]

Battles of a Gunner Officer: Tunisia, Sicily, Normandy and the Long Road to Germany, John Philip Jones & Major Peter Pettit.

Battles of a Gunner Officer: Tunisia, Sicily, Normandy and the Long Road to Germany, John Philip Jones & Major Peter Pettit
The edited diaries of an officer in the Artillery, tracing his progress from Tunisia to northern Germany via Sicily, Normandy and north-western Europe. Demonstrates how dangerous life in the Artillery could be, with many of his colleagues killed in combat, as well as giving us a valuable picture of how the very efficient British artillery operated during the Second World War.
[read full review]

Monday, August 15, 2016

USS McDougal (DD-54)

USS McDougal (DD-54) was a O'Brien class destroyer that served from Queenstown and Brest during the First World War, then served with the US Coast Guard.

USS Winslow (DD-53)

USS Winslow (DD-53) was an O'Brien class destroyer that served from Queenstown and Brest during the First World War, carrying out at least ten attacks on suspected U-boats.

Friday, August 12, 2016

Marshal Jacques Etienne Joseph Alexandre Macdonald (1765-1840)

Marshal Jacques Etienne Joseph Alexandre Macdonald (1765-1840) was the son of a Scottish immigrant who served under every regime from the pre-revolutionary Royal army, through the revolutionary and Napoleonic periods and on to the restored Bourbons. His career was a mix of triumph, in particular at Wagram, and defeat in Italy and Germany, and was interrupted by a spell out of favour

Thursday, August 11, 2016

Prime Mover M33

The Prime Mover M33 was an artillery tractor based on the M31 Tank Recovery Vehicle, itself based on the Medium Tank M3.

Tank Recovery Vehicle M31

The Tank Recovery Vehicle M31 was based on the Medium Tank M3, and over 800 were produced in 1942-45.

Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Cyrus II the Great (c.575-530 BC)

Cyrus II the Great (c.575-530 BC) was the founder of the Persian Empire, and one of the most successful conquerors of the Ancient World, creating an empire that lasted for over two hundred years.

Artabanus or Ardaban (d.465/464 BC)

Artabanus or Ardaban (d.465/464 BC), was a Persian minister and commander of the royal guard who murdered Xerxes I and was later killed by his son and successor Artaxerxes I.

Tuesday, August 09, 2016

Escape from the Japanese - The Amazing Story of a PoW's Journey from Hong Kong to Freedom, Lt. Cmdr Ralph Burton Goodwin.

Escape from the Japanese - The Amazing Story of a PoW's Journey from Hong Kong to Freedom, Lt. Cmdr Ralph Burton Goodwin
Compelling story of a rare successful escape from Japanese captivity, followed by a journey across war-torn China. The author was captured at the fall of Hong Kong. After two and a half years he escaped, and made his way across very difficult terrain into Chinese-held territory. We then trace his journey across wartime China, from the Communist held area around Hong Kong to the Nationalist capital at Kunming, so the fascinating escape story is followed by a very valuable insight into conditions within China.
[read full review]

Leaders of the Storm Troops: Vol I, Michael D. Miller & Andreas Schulz.

Leaders of the Storm Troops: Vol I, Michael D. Miller & Andreas Schulz
 Looks at the senior leadership of the SA, covering the ten men who served as head of the organisation and the first half of the Obergruppenführers, the equivalent of lieutenant-generals within the organisation. Paints a picture of a very varied group, with members ranging from major war criminals to members of the German resistance. The first part of a very useful reference work on this key group within the Nazi hierarchy
[read full review]

Mortars in World War II, John Norris.

Mortars in World War II, John Norris
Looks at one of the most important infantry support weapons of the Second World War. Contains a great deal of material, looking at each area of conflict from Poland in 1939 to the final fighting in 1945, the way mortars were used by each army and the type of mortars in use. Suffers from a rather odd structure, which can make it a bit confusing on occasions, but still a useful book.
[read full review]

Monday, August 08, 2016

Boulton & Paul P.31 Bittern

The Boulton & Paul P.31 Bittern was an ambitious design for a monoplane night fighter that was let down by underpowered engines.

Boulton & Paul P.29 Sidestrand

The Boulton & Paul P.29 Sidestrand was a twin engined bomber that was the company's first military aircraft to enter production.

Tuesday, August 02, 2016

USS Nicholson (DD-52)

USS Nicholson (DD-52) was an O'Brien class destroyer that served from Queenstown and later Brest during the First World War.

USS O'Brien (DD-51)

USS O'Brien (DD-51) was the name ship of the O'Brien class of destroyers. She served from Queenstown in 1917-1918 and then from Brest for the last few months of the First World War.

Monday, August 01, 2016

Marshal Joachim Murat (1767-1815)

Marshal Joachim Murat (1767-1815) was one of Napoleon's most flamboyant and dashing cavalry commanders, but he was less impressive later in the wars, when he was promoted beyond his abilities.